Royal Holloway's Independent Student Newspaper

Review: Dua Lipa @ O2 Academy Bournemouth

Zoe review Dua Lipa at the O2 Academy Bournemouth on 6th October 2017.

By Zoe Seabourne

As soon as Dua Lipa made her dramatic entrance onto a stage full of smoke and lights, the crowd knew the hit singer wasn’t going to disappoint. The venue itself was an old theatre that had speakers and a giant LED screen set up among the pillars and ornate carvings above the stage. However, it was an incredibly small show in comparison to the other venues promised later in her 2018 UK and Ireland tour, where she plans to hit cities including Dublin, Manchester and London. Over the summer, New Rules had topped the UK charts and she’d achieved star status and, despite the long wait in the cold outside and the overpriced bar, the crowd’s hype was palpable before she even came on stage. Despite the size of the venue, Lipa still gave it her all and the performance was full of dance sequences, light shows and a buzz from the crowd that never faded from the first melody.

Every song was executed flawlessly and with an energy that had the crowd jumping and singing along, beer sloshing from plastic cups. But no one cared, even if the beer had cost a tenner, because everyone was having a good time. Lipa was her own hype: Whenever there was a lull, she would call the energy back and demand the crowd put their hands up and jump. Everyone left exhausted and with their voices a whisper of what they had been, but belting out those three NewRules had been worth it. Even when the pace slowed to her acoustic song of Thinking ‘Bout You, Dua Lipa had the crowd enraptured.

In all, it was a dazzling show and an electric night full of energy and lights. Dua Lipa will be performing at Alexandra Palace in London on 20th April, 2018.